FAN Archive 112808

November 28, 2008
Andrew Lipke at World Cafe Live

Andrew Lipke joins us for a Free At Noon Show on November 28 from World Cafe Live. A co-production of WXPN and NPR Music.

With an impressive award winning track record of songwriting/producing, Andrew Lipke is a gem in the Philadelphia folk rock community. The South African born musician acquired a keen love for music, particularly the piano, early in his youth, but after moving to America in 1987, Lipke added guitar to his multi-faceted repertoire. While attending Philadelphia's University of the Arts, he toured regionally with several bands, demonstrating his great prowess as a guitarist and vocalist. However, eventually status as a frequent ensemble player in a variety of bands led to the pursuit of a more intimate solo career. Able to construct his own style, with influences from the classical (Bach) to classic rock (Led Zeppelin), he recorded his debut Ghosts in 2004. Its distinct lyrical qualities paved the way to a successful full length album The Way Home... on Drexel University's MadDragon Records in 2007.

His sophomore release Mother Pearl and Dynamite may draw upon his signature style - rock-y ballads coated in sugary melodies in contrast to themes of love and death - but there is a fresh intricacy to the Mother Pearl.... Filled with swooning vocals, more prominent South African influences, and the addition of his backing band The Prospects on cello, pedal steel and resonating guitars, the album is equal parts happy-go-lucky tempered with unsuspectingly dark undertones.